Latest news with #Costacurta
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Costacurta: Inter will learn from mistakes in Champions League Final
Alessandro Costacurta believes Inter's slip-up in Serie A will lead to a positive reaction from the team ahead of the imminent Champions League Final: 'They have understood they can't give up one centimetre.' Inter wasted a golden chance to overtake Napoli at the top of the Serie A table last night as they were held to a 2-2 home draw by Lazio, while the Partenopei picked up a point in a 0-0 stalemate in Parma. Advertisement This means the Nerazzurri are still second in the table, one point below Antonio Conte's men with one game remaining. Inter are also preparing for the Champions League Final, and Sky Sport asked Italy and Milan legend Costacurta how the team would react to the latest disappointment in the league. Costacurta expects positive Inter reaction MILAN, ITALY – MAY 18: Simone Inzaghi, Head Coach of FC Internazionale, looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SS Lazio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 18, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) 'I believe positively. I think Inter have understood they can't give up one centimetre,' Costacurta replied via FcInter1908. 'These kinds of challenges are beneficial. Those goals help you grow, and then you know how to react well. We saw it against Barcelona. The team knows how to respond well when they come out of moments like that.' Advertisement The Nerazzurri will play the final game of the Serie A campaign away at Como on Friday, while Napoli will host Cagliari. The Champions League Final has been scheduled for May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich against Ligue 1 giants PSG.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Costacurta aims dig at French media over Donnarumma
Italian legend Alessandro Costacurta taunts French media who have often been critical of Gigio Donnarumma: 'They say he isn't the best when he has to come off his line, but they forget to say that he's the best in the world at everything else.' The Italy captain massively contributed to PSG's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday with several crucial saves. The former Milan goalkeeper earned praise from the Italian media on Wednesday, and even an Azzurri legend like Costacurta showed his admiration for the 26-year-old. The ex-Italian defender, a five-time Champions League winner with Milan, also aimed a dig at French media who have often been critical of Donnarumma in recent years. 'The French say that Donnarumma isn't the best when he has to come off his line; perhaps they are right,' Costacurta told Sky Sport Italia via TMW. 'However, they forget to say that he's the best in the world at everything else. He made two incredible saves.' Donnarumma made two crucial saves against Arsenal yesterday, but the Gunners had a goal disallowed in the second half. In that circumstance, Gigio's timing in coming off the line surely wasn't ideal. Donnarumma has kept 11 clean sheets in 37 appearances across all competitions with PSG this season. The Italian captain was rated 8/10 by Gazzetta dello Sport, which saw Gigio as the best player on the pitch at the Emirates last night. Donnarumma was also rated 8/10 by Sky Sport Italia. Tuttosport praised him on their front page, saying he had put in a 'super' performance.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Costacurta would not sell Milan trio but nobody ‘absolutely essential'
Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta would not sell Rafael Leao, Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan next season but notes that nobody is 'absolutely essential' in the Rossoneri squad. Milan suffered the second consecutive defeat in Serie A on Thursday, losing 2-1 against Bologna at the Stadio Dall'Ara. The Rossoneri are currently out of a European placement as they sit 8th, eight points below the top four. Rafael Leao, Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan have been in the spotlight this season with disappointing performances, and recent reports have claimed that they could all leave the club in the summer. 'I don't know if it's the end for everyone, but I do think it is for the Scudetto winners,' Costacurta told Sky Sport after Milan's loss last night. 'I believe tonight, just like other matches, adds to a pattern of games played in a certain way, with mistakes. They put in the effort, but we keep talking about errors.' 'If you sell Leao, Theo, and Maignan, it's possible that you could even build a stronger team. It all depends on the evaluations,' continued the ex-defender. 'You can create a better squad than this one. I don't think Milan depend on them. Depend on what? They're in eighth place, 17 points behind the leaders. 'I believe no one is indispensable to Milan. If they need to be sold, then sell them. Personally, I wouldn't sell them. I'd keep a couple of them. But I still don't think they are absolutely essential.' Costacurta spent almost his entire club career at Milan, playing at San Siro from 1987 to 2007. The only other professional club he played for was Monza, on loan, in 1986-87. Costacurta made 663 appearances with Milan, scoring three goals. He won seven Serie A titles, five Champions League trophies, five Supercoppa Italiana, two Intercontinental Cups, and one Coppa Italia.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Costacurta insists Milan Champions League exit is ‘not Conceicao's fault'
Legendary former Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta believes that the blame for the team's exit from the Champions League should not lie with head coach Sergio Conceicao, rather the players and largely Theo Hernandez, who he feels is having the 'worst' year of his career. Milan were eliminated from the Champions League in the play-off round after a 1-1 draw with an injury-hit and relatively inexperienced Feyenoord side, which sealed a 2-1 loss on aggregate. The Rossoneri had led in the first minute after former Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez opened the scoring in the second leg, but holding onto the lead became difficult when Theo Hernandez was given his marching orders early in the second half. The Frenchman was shown a yellow card for an unnecessarily aggressive shirt pull on Anis Anis Hadj-Moussa in the first half, and was then given his second booking for simulation. Costacurta feels that Theo has a lot of questions to ask of himself. 'I haven't seen that many mistakes in a double knockout game for a long time,' Costacurta said while on punditry duty with Sky, reported via Corriere dello Sport. 'Certain blunders like those Theo made can't happen at this level, it's not acceptable. This year is perhaps the worst of his career and what he did tonight was the icing on the cake for Milan.' He continued: 'It's not unreasonable to say that the blame for Milan's elimination from the Champions League falls on Theo Hernandez. It's not Conceicao's fault, who, in my opinion, didn't make a mistake in his team selection. The mistakes were made by the players, and they made serious ones in every game.'
